Why is it illegal to feed
birds and animals in Rocky Mountain National Park?
Animals can hurt people who feed them, but more often, the animals suffer.
Animals fed by people become beggars. They often bite. Some have fleas that can infect people with plague.
Beggar animals often stay near roads, where cars hit them.
Imagine: One peanut from each park visitor would add over three tons of extra food per year. Some animals would overpopulate, crowding out other wildlife. Then many of the extra animals would die in winter when no one feeds them.